To help these smokers kick the habit for good, Brian Tiep, M.D., director of pulmonary rehabilitation and smoking cessation, and Rachel Dunham, M.S.N., nurse practitioner for smoking cessation and lung cancer screening, used Twitter to answer questions and discuss quitting strategies that work.

Smoking cessation experts from the Mayo Clinic also joined in to discuss the benefits of quitting and provided additional resources to help smokers quit.

Most smokers know they should stop the deadly habit, but what they don’t realize is that the nicotine in the cigarette makes them not only an addict, but a victim, as well.

“Nicotine affects the brain within 7 seconds of a puff. This causes a rush, which the victim gets dependent on,” Tiep tweeted.

Once a smoker realizes he cannot quit on his own — less than 5 percent of smokers can quit cold turkey — he can get the help he needs from professionals.

Here are some tips the experts gave on how to effectively quit smoking:

“”Focus on the positive, celebrate small victories, be available for relapses & expect them.” [email protected]

“If you're going to #quitsmoking don't get down on yourself if you slip. Usually takes smokers several tries to kick habit.” [email protected]

“Make a list of your reasons for stopping smoking (kids, exercise, better health, etc...) and keep it visible as a reminder.” [email protected]

“Persistence in quitting works. It is hard to stop smoking, but each time a person tries, they learn something more about success.” [email protected]

“Let everyone you interact with know you are trying to quit, so they can rally for you and encourage you.” [email protected]

“Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider, get medications, get counseling.” [email protected]